Nielsen

The Nielsen Company (formerly VNU) is a major publisher of trade magazines and directories and is a market researcher and describes itself as "a global information and media company". .

"By means of thousands of specific market data reports, 140 trade magazines, 150 trade shows and business events, 150 'yellow pages' directories and many Internet sites, we provide millions of professionals around the globe with 'must have' business-to-business information and industry expertise," the company states on its website.

Nielsen is headquartered in Haarlem, The Netherlands (and New York).

History
VNU - the acronym for " Verenigde Nederlandse Uitgeversbedrijven" (United Dutch Publishers) - was established as a Dutch publishing company in 1964. 

In 1999 VNU acquired the American company Nielsen Media Research which undertakes TV audience ratings and in 2000 bought Miller Freeman USA which organizes trade shows and business publications. .

In January 2007, the company changed its name from VNU to The Nielsen Company.

Nielsen owns: as well as what is described as a "directory publishing" company
 * ACNielsen
 * Nielsen Media Research
 * Various remarkably well-known magazines:
 * Billboard
 * The Hollywood Reporter
 * Computing
 * Intermediair
 * Golden Pages

They have an 18 page list of all the companies they own at:  (A lot of them are branch offices in various countries.)

Personnel
According to its website, Nielsen "employs some 38,000 people worldwide, and is active in more than 100 countries. Around half of our EUR 4.3 billion in total revenues is generated in North America."


 * David Calhoun, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
 * Mitchell J. Habib, Executive Vice President
 * Susan D. Whiting, Executive Vice President
 * Brian West, Chief Financial Officer

Contact information
Ceylonpoort 5-25 2037 AA Haarlem The Netherlands Phone: +31 23 546 34 63 Web: http://www.nielsen.com

770 Broadway New York, NY 10003 United States Phone: +1 646 654 5000